Union Steel "Messenger" Magazine

Books

ALBION IN REVIEW By Frank Passic (2009) 128-page soft cover coil-bound book features a variety of over 215 Albion postcards, photographs, and memorabilia. This pictorial covers over 150 years of Albion people, places, and events.
The highlight of Albion in Review is the first-ever publishing of several historic “yard long” panoramic photographs of the 1920s, with individual identifications included. The Emancipation Day photograph from 1927 is an especially precious one. The group includes many of the original African-American men who were recruited to work at the Albion Malleable Iron Company during World War I, and their descendants. Most of those pictured in the group have been identified. Because of its historical significance, a portion of this photo is also featured on the cover of the book. The reader will appreciate the vertical placement of these panoramics in sections. The coil binding allows for easy open viewing throughout the book, and several large photos throughout the book have also been positioned vertically. Other panoramics presented are the World War I veteran’s photo (1919), the Hayes Wheel Company employees (1925), and the Gale Manufacturing Company employees (1926).
Read more about it here, with an index. $25 + $5.00 postage and handling + $1.80 Michigan Sales Tax = $31.80. Outside of Michigan the total cost with shipping is $30.00.

GROWING UP IN ALBION By Frank PassicA 128-page pictorial book focusing on the 1950s and 1960s in Albion.
Cover art.
(2007) This book is designed for the "baby boomer" generation which grew up during these special years when Albion was booming.
"Growing Up in Albion" features over 240 photographs of people, places, and events, some of which were never published before.
Many of the photographs come from original black and white negatives of the old Albion Evening Recorder newspaper.
Chapter titles: Around Town; Businesses; Industries; Schools; Recreation and Sports.
Read more about it here, with an index. $25 + $5 s & h + $1.80 Michigan sales tax for orders in Michigan for a total of $31.80. Out of state there is no tax and so the total is $30.00

ALBION IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY By Frank PassicA
(2003) 128-page pictorial published by Arcadia Publishing. Cover art.This book features photographs from the personal
archives of Albion Historian Frank Passic. “This is a people book, there are lots of group
photographs of factory workers, officials, clubs, churches, and other
organizations--all identified. Many family names will thus be
represented in this book.” It has an index in Word format that you can have for free,
available separately on the internet. The cost is $19.99 each plus $4.50 shipping and handling. Michigan residents please add 6% sales tax.

A HISTORY OF THE ALBION PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Frank Passic(1991).
Hard cover, 263 pages. Cover art. A comprehensive history of our
local school system, plus the rural country schools that were annexed
to the Albion system. Contains over 250 photographs. Every graduate of Albion High School and
the Adult Education through 1991 is listed in this book, including
YOURS if you graduated! Numerous topics and themes are covered in this book,
including the elementary schools, athletics (over 30 pages), faculty,
publications, activities, and much more. Must reading for anyone who attended the
Albion Public Schools. $20 plus $7 p & h.

PRESENTING 25 YEARS OF THE ALBION CIVIC FOUNDATION By Frank Passic
(1993). Cover art. Founded in 1968, the Albion Civic [now Community]
Foundation has funded numerous projects in the Albion area, which has
enriched the lives of us all. Learn about its history, and read of some of the
projects that it has funded. $7.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

A HISTORY OF RIVERSIDE CEMETERY IN ALBION, MICHIGAN By Frank Passic
(1998). Cover art. This 27-page booklet contains the historical text
researched and written by the author which was submitted to the State
of Michigan for nominating Riverside Cemetery as a State Historic Site. Did you
know that over 20,000 persons are buried here? Learn about the original land
owners, how the cemetery came to be, and famous people buried here.
$10.00 plus $2.50 p & h.

These tour booklets
contain approximately 30-35 selected interment sites featured in this
historian’s annual October tour of Albion's Riverside Cemetery. Learn
of the famous, infamous, poor, rich, and interesting interments found
here. Lots of "ordinary folks" have been featured in these tours. All
portions of the Cemetery have been covered.

These tour programs have proved to be quite popular. Each contains a
numbered map you can use to take the tour yourself. These especially
make great inexpensive historical gifts.

Price for each tour booklet: $3.00 plus $2.00 p & h.

1994: Southern Section TourCovers the southern portion of the
cemetery. Cover art. Notable interments included James "Deacon" McGuire, Albion’s
major league baseball player; Senator Warren G. Hooper who was murdered
in 1945 and subject of the book "Three Bullets Sealed His Lips," and
Warren S. Kessler, founder of the Albion Malleable Iron Company.

1995: Old Section TourCovers the old section of the cemetery
featuring Albion's pioneers, and also the big Riverside Mausoleum. Cover art. Find
out about famous people who are buried in the "old grounds."

1996: An Ethnic Tour of Riverside CemeteryAn important tour
featuring European immigrants, blacks, and other
minorities. 13 pages. Cover art. Excellent for researchers.

1997: An Ethnic Tour of Riverside Cemetery, Part
2Due to the overwhelming response of the 1996 tour, we again stroll
through the southern sections of the cemetery and focus on ethnic
nationalities buried here. 18 pages. Cover art. Anyone doing ethnic research about Albion needs
copies of my 1996 and 1997 tours.

1998: A Central Tour of Riverside Cemetery A
walk through the "gully" and hilly area overlooking the Kalamazoo River
millpond. Cover art. Includes David Duncan, the Albion Hermit.

1999: A Musicians Tour of Riverside Cemetery
Many of the persons remembered on this tour either were musicians,
taught music, sang music, or wrote music. Cover art. Interesting theme.

2000: The Millennium Tour of Riverside Cemetery
Take this tour of the south end of Riverside Cemetery as we visit the
graves of 30 different people whose interesting biographies are printed in this
booklet. Cover art. Includes Albion’s most distinguished citizen, the Hon. Washington
Gardner who served in Congress, also as Michigan’s Secretary of State, and
national Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R; several members of the Wochholz family
clan who were quite prominent here in the early 20th century; Edgar Steele,
the father of Alfred Steele who was CEO of Pepsi Cola and married to movie
star Joan Crawford; and Charles Quigg from the "old west," who rode shotgun
on a stagecoach at age 16.

2001: German Hill Tour of Riverside Cemetery
The German Hill Tour of Riverside Cemetery. Cover art. One of Albion's major
historic ethnic groups are the Germans, and this special tour focuses on two
dozen or so German families representative of the hundreds who settled here.
Included in the tour program is a map showing the location of the little towns
where many of our German families came from, and street listings showing
where many German families settled in Albion.

2002: The Other Pioneers of Albion Tour of
Riverside CemeteryThis tour focuses on other pioneers of
Albion not covered in previous tours. Cover art. The tour area is located in the
vicinity of the "Old Grounds." Included are the parents of Ezra Cornell; Frederick Erhardt,
Albion's pioneer undertaker; and the Levi Wild family after whom Wild St. is
named. 33 stops.

2003: The Flagholder Tour of Riverside
Cemetery18 pages long! Learn about the symbols, markings, and
meanings of the numerous flagholders placed next to graves by
fraternal, masonic, insurance, military and other organizations. Cover art. Lots
of website references in this tour program, which is a reference source
in itself!

2004: An Ethnic Tour of Riverside Cemetery, Part 3This continues
the theme of the 1996 and 1997 tours. Cover art. This tour took place in Section
129 in the far southeast corner of the cemetery. This Section contains
burials segregated by race, religion, and age. An emphasis is given
upon the African-American community which settled in Albion and are
interred here. Of special interest is the complete listing by-number
and name of every burial in the so-called “Colored” and “Eastern
Orthodox” sections here. Those with tombstones are printed with bold
print, while those without stones with regular print, meaning you’ll be
able to determine the burial location of a person whether or not they
have a tombstone. This tour booklet is worth that listing alone!

2005: The Terrace View of Riverside Cemetery This tour
covers the hilly section located to the left of the main entrance road, above
the large letters "RIVERSIDE" on the side of the hill. Cover art.
We visited the gravesites of such persons as: The inventor of the commercial bread slicing machine;
an "Orphan Train" child; an early settler of Spring Arbor whose writings
helped inspire the Falling Waters Park there; the grandson of the famous
18th century clergyman Rev. Jonathan Edwards; and, yes, Martha Stuart. The
event was sponsored by the Albion Public Schools.

2006: The Magnificent View Tour of Riverside CemeteryThis year’s tour features
selected interments found on the hill which overlooks the Kalamazoo River parallel to M-99. Cover art.
Many of Albion’s Civil war soldiers are buried in this section of the cemetery. Of special interest
will be a rare look inside the Munroe Mausoleum, built in 1876 by Dr. Stephen Munroe (1813-1890),
who was instrumental in the development of the north end of Duck Lake. Also interred in the Mausoleum is
the Doctor’s brother, James Monroe (1818-1899), who was Albion’s first industrialist, and who served as Mayor
and Postmaster of Kalamazoo in the 1890s.

Resources for Albion Area Historical Research

Atlases and Maps

1830s Plat Map of Calhoun County with CommentaryIncludes
both the 1835-40 the 1844 maps. Cover art. By Frank Passic (1997). Want to know
who the original land owner of your property was, or how it looked in the
map in the late 1830s? Well, this book is for you. Soft cover, 27 pages.
Arranged alphabetically by township, with commentary, and a copy of the original
hand-written maps. $10.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

Key to 1866 Bird's Eye View of AlbionBy Frank Passic
(1993 reprint). Soft cover, 52 pages. Cover art. Want to find out who lived in
your house in 1866? This book dissects Albion block by block, and house
by house. It is highly illustrated, and makes an excellent reference
source to accompany the actual art print. Here are six articles featuring the
Bird's Eye View Map. $15.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

1916 Calhoun County AtlasREPRINT of Map Portions (2004). Soft cover, comb
binding, 8½ x 11 size. 62 pages. This was
the last of the trilogy of big bound atlases of Calhoun County (1873,
1894, 1916). This plat map atlas is an excellent resource of the early
20th century! All the railroads are there, including the interurban
tracks. Two years later the abandonment of many railroads began. This
atlas also shows the Rural Free Delivery mail routes the carrier took
each day! There are plat maps of each township showing the land owners
and various features, and street maps of the communities. This atlas
also gives the business names of the farms on the plat maps in addition
to the owners, such as “Oak Grove Farm,” etc. $15.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. Read more about the Union Steel Messenger! This company magazine of Union Steel Products is filled with photographs of employees and their families in various actvities such as bowling, picnics, reunions, weddings, etc. Especially historic are those issues produced during World War II which contain numerous photographs of Albion soldiers/sailors around the world. A great resource! These are $5.00 each, plus $3.00 p & h plus 6% Michigan Sales Tax (sales tax on $8 is 48¢ for a total of $8.48) if sent to an address within Michigan. NOTE: If ordering between 2-20, postage and handling is just $5.00 total as the issues will be placed in 1 prioritiy mail envelope. I have the following issues available. If I have more than one I have the number listed in parentheses.